Disco_Driver
New member
Hi! I’ve been lurking on these forums for a while and now I thought I’d share and introduce myself.
I’m a hoarder, and I like to fix things. Over the past decade I’ve collected many things at thrift stores and auctions, and the central theme behind it all has been travel and camping. In my collecting I have acquired four vehicles that I have been restoring, my Tiara Motor Coach, my F-150 Lariat 4x4, my Polaris ATV, and most recently my 1999 Land Rover Discovery II.
My mother had purchased the Land Rover on an impulse buy, from a guy in a Food4Less parking lot. She thought is was pretty and that her mechanics would be able to fix it no problem. After a day of purchase, severe buyers remorse set in, our driveway was left looking like a Rorschach examination, the L-N-H shifter was stuck, the roof leaked, the heater didn’t work, the radio volume knob was useless, but she carried on with complete confidence in her mechanics, thinking that she would be able to flip this thing for a profit.
First thing she did was reupholster the seats, doors and roof. The guy even made free brake and shifter covers from scraps he had
Next she took it to the paint shop and redid the roof and the hood.
Once the car was pretty, she then took it to the mechanics in Mexico, and that’s when the trouble began. I had asked the mechanics if they has ever worked on such a complex car, and then they boasted about the Mercedes and BMW the had dismantled in the back, so reluctantly I let her leave the car there for them to “Stop the oil leak and unstick the LNH knob.” when the car was left there initially it only had the three amigos problem on the dash, but when I went to pick it up… and inspect it, everything seemed fine! there was no oil leak the LNH handle was working, the two exact things we paid them to fix where fixed, but there were some new lights on the dash. when they handed the car back to us it now had, in addition to the three amigos, the check engine light on, the SRS light on, and this red little light i had never seen before. (The CDL Light)
At first I had no idea how these 4X4 land rovers worked. How did they manage to lock my center diff when my lever doesn’t show me that optio?, They told me it was just stuck, and it will loosen up as I drive, also, there was a loud screeching noise coming from the engine I didn’t remember hearing before, they told me it was simply an old fan belt I needed replaced, I was skeptical but I took their word for it and signed the release.
As we’re getting ready to cross the border back into the USA, I notice the car feels really hot for some reason, a quick Oil check revealed that the car had no oil in it!, furious I went back to the mechanic, and told him and told him, jokingly, “I know now why the car doesn’t leak oil anymore, you guys didn’t put oil in it” he checks the engine and pulls out the dipstick, and with his thumb covers the FULL mark and tells me “No, see it has Oil” as he points to the one drop hanging off the end, I look him in the eye and say “Move your thumb, see that, F U L L means that that’s where the oil level needs to be at, so since you were about to have me drive several hours with no oil, how about you just get me some old leftover oil to get me going so that I can take my business elsewhere”. Finally we drove away, my mothers confidence in her mechanics shattered.
With the cost of repairs needed to fix this mess, the Land Rover would now end up costing more to fix than what she could sell it for, my mother had no interest in flipping it now and handed it off to me. The car had been sitting there sadly for months at this point.
I did research on these cars, saw what they were capable of by watching Camel Trophy videos and tons of YouTube, and soon realized that I had caught Disco Fever.
My Journey with this vehicle began with a trip to Jiffy Lube, on the way over there I noticed a few things, like the car feeling heavier than I initially remember and I heard the tires chirping when I made tight turns. I thought nothing of it, maybe the LNH lever was just stuck still and I should just jerk it into reverse to loosen it later. This particular Jiffy Lube surprised me with their excellent service, they shone a light on several issues the car had, and took me under the shop to show me, one of the brake calipers was twisted and kinked, there was no oil spillage, but I did have a power steering fluid leak, and the loud screeching wasn’t the fan belt, it was one of the pulleys, a quick spray to the power steering pulley with liquid made it go silent temporarily, and worst of all, the previous mechanics left the oxygen sensor wire hanging loose and the Jiffy Lube employee found a chunk of it and the engine wire harness wrapped around the drive shaft. At least now I knew why the check engine light went on and now I had a place to start my repairs. Not knowing any mechanics at all, I pulled confidence from my work on PC’s and Paintball guns, and convinced myself that it was just a bunch of parts doing things, like any other machine out there, and dove in. I placed a bunch of orders for parts on RoverParts.com, the ones that were more expensive like the power steering pump i got from eBay for a fraction of the cost.
Rover Academy by Atlantic British was a huge help in this endeavour.
Every other day began to feel like christmas as parts began to arrive.
I replaced the power steering pump and the hose leading from the reservoir to the ACE pump I put in a new ACE filter and purchased legit land rover ACE power steering fluid, This stopped the power steering fluid leaks, but I was shocked to find that the reason the pump failed and was screeching so loud was because the previous mechanics while fixing the oil leak, must have lost the original screws to the pump, and in an economic rush to fix it, did not secure the pump into place properly, and only inserted a peg to keep it in place… yes a peg, my pump was literally being held in place by a metal stick and the fan belt, from then on I would never trust a mechanic again.
Now after watching Lucky8’s youtube video about the Center Differential lock, I was able to muster up the courage to dismantle the inside of the car to get to the torn O2 sensor.
With my very limmited soldering skill I managed to attach a new O2 sensor pigtail.
While looking up how to open up the center console, I stumbled onto an interesting fact, the CDL was manually left locked by the previous mechanics… They’ve had me driving around on 4x4 for weeks, I must have driven 600 miles with it on! I didn’t know! I was ignorant on the subject at the time! it wasn't until i unplugged the CDL sensor and saw the dash light turn off that the center diff was definitely locked, but that switch on top would not budge no matter how hard I turned it, so I figured the next step would be to re-lubricate the drive train since I was going to take it apart anyway.
Finally I saved up the money and ordered the drive train kit from Atlantic British, purchased my first set of jack stands and was ready to work. I started with the transmission needed to take it apart to access the transfer case panel anyway. There were way more metal shavings on the magnet than I was comfortable with.
Next I changed the transfer case, but what I saw was so upsetting, There was so much more metal on the magnet, and I found a tooth, yes some kind of metal tooth from some gear inside has broken off and the magnet had luckily grabbed it.
No use crying so I carried on on my mission, but what I found was almost endearing of those previous mechanics... I had a terrible time opening the transfer case panel, because the bolts in it, where not the original ones. As it turns out those guys had lost the originals, and replaced them with what seemed to be threaded rod with a nut welded to the top and then cut to size, bravo to these guys for working with what they got, but for what they charged, I think the extra 20 cents of a new bolt from the hardware store, wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Finally though I gain access.
I had to fiddle with the CDL but FINALLY! I was able to turn it off, I couldn’t believe it! I tested out the tires, finally my front tire was able to turn independently from the rest and I was so relieved. Finally I put the drive train back together, I resealed the transfer case, put new fluid in the transmission, and in the axles as well. and the next day after checking for leaks, I took it for a test drive. It was at this point, I fell in love with the car. It felt so light and strong and it seemed to just glide effortlessly!
The next step was to take if off roading.
This was the Land Rover Discovery on its one year anniversary of purchase, driving in the wet sand, not getting stuck.
Since then this car has become my daily driver. I have taken it paintballing, I Have been able to pull stuck vehicles out of the sand, it has more than exceeded my expectation!
I cant upload more than 10 images, but,
I have installed a new radio, horn buttons, windshield wipers, visor clips, roof lights, I’ve fixed the leaking sunroof, changed the back and brake lights for LED ones,installed a new cigaret lighter sealed the air intake, replaced the existing window motors and assemblies, replaced the fan belt, replaced the shuttle valve for the ABS system, and spray painted the exterior trim black.
I am in love with this car, and what it can do, my hopes for it are to turn it into an off-road camping beast!
I currently have new brake pads, O2 sensors and a MAF sensor that need to be installed.
Next things I have to do are get some window tint, and new tires.
The big ticket items I really want would be a roof rack, a light bar, a better suspension system but Most of all I would love to find a CDL shifter that lets me lock my transfer case into 4x4, if anyone has any leads on an affordable one message me!
Family Photo!
Thank you for reading! If you don't mind my ramblings, I have more of my amature content to upload from my other projects or more details about this one.
I’m a hoarder, and I like to fix things. Over the past decade I’ve collected many things at thrift stores and auctions, and the central theme behind it all has been travel and camping. In my collecting I have acquired four vehicles that I have been restoring, my Tiara Motor Coach, my F-150 Lariat 4x4, my Polaris ATV, and most recently my 1999 Land Rover Discovery II.
My mother had purchased the Land Rover on an impulse buy, from a guy in a Food4Less parking lot. She thought is was pretty and that her mechanics would be able to fix it no problem. After a day of purchase, severe buyers remorse set in, our driveway was left looking like a Rorschach examination, the L-N-H shifter was stuck, the roof leaked, the heater didn’t work, the radio volume knob was useless, but she carried on with complete confidence in her mechanics, thinking that she would be able to flip this thing for a profit.
First thing she did was reupholster the seats, doors and roof. The guy even made free brake and shifter covers from scraps he had
Next she took it to the paint shop and redid the roof and the hood.
Once the car was pretty, she then took it to the mechanics in Mexico, and that’s when the trouble began. I had asked the mechanics if they has ever worked on such a complex car, and then they boasted about the Mercedes and BMW the had dismantled in the back, so reluctantly I let her leave the car there for them to “Stop the oil leak and unstick the LNH knob.” when the car was left there initially it only had the three amigos problem on the dash, but when I went to pick it up… and inspect it, everything seemed fine! there was no oil leak the LNH handle was working, the two exact things we paid them to fix where fixed, but there were some new lights on the dash. when they handed the car back to us it now had, in addition to the three amigos, the check engine light on, the SRS light on, and this red little light i had never seen before. (The CDL Light)
At first I had no idea how these 4X4 land rovers worked. How did they manage to lock my center diff when my lever doesn’t show me that optio?, They told me it was just stuck, and it will loosen up as I drive, also, there was a loud screeching noise coming from the engine I didn’t remember hearing before, they told me it was simply an old fan belt I needed replaced, I was skeptical but I took their word for it and signed the release.
As we’re getting ready to cross the border back into the USA, I notice the car feels really hot for some reason, a quick Oil check revealed that the car had no oil in it!, furious I went back to the mechanic, and told him and told him, jokingly, “I know now why the car doesn’t leak oil anymore, you guys didn’t put oil in it” he checks the engine and pulls out the dipstick, and with his thumb covers the FULL mark and tells me “No, see it has Oil” as he points to the one drop hanging off the end, I look him in the eye and say “Move your thumb, see that, F U L L means that that’s where the oil level needs to be at, so since you were about to have me drive several hours with no oil, how about you just get me some old leftover oil to get me going so that I can take my business elsewhere”. Finally we drove away, my mothers confidence in her mechanics shattered.
With the cost of repairs needed to fix this mess, the Land Rover would now end up costing more to fix than what she could sell it for, my mother had no interest in flipping it now and handed it off to me. The car had been sitting there sadly for months at this point.
I did research on these cars, saw what they were capable of by watching Camel Trophy videos and tons of YouTube, and soon realized that I had caught Disco Fever.
My Journey with this vehicle began with a trip to Jiffy Lube, on the way over there I noticed a few things, like the car feeling heavier than I initially remember and I heard the tires chirping when I made tight turns. I thought nothing of it, maybe the LNH lever was just stuck still and I should just jerk it into reverse to loosen it later. This particular Jiffy Lube surprised me with their excellent service, they shone a light on several issues the car had, and took me under the shop to show me, one of the brake calipers was twisted and kinked, there was no oil spillage, but I did have a power steering fluid leak, and the loud screeching wasn’t the fan belt, it was one of the pulleys, a quick spray to the power steering pulley with liquid made it go silent temporarily, and worst of all, the previous mechanics left the oxygen sensor wire hanging loose and the Jiffy Lube employee found a chunk of it and the engine wire harness wrapped around the drive shaft. At least now I knew why the check engine light went on and now I had a place to start my repairs. Not knowing any mechanics at all, I pulled confidence from my work on PC’s and Paintball guns, and convinced myself that it was just a bunch of parts doing things, like any other machine out there, and dove in. I placed a bunch of orders for parts on RoverParts.com, the ones that were more expensive like the power steering pump i got from eBay for a fraction of the cost.
Rover Academy by Atlantic British was a huge help in this endeavour.
Every other day began to feel like christmas as parts began to arrive.
I replaced the power steering pump and the hose leading from the reservoir to the ACE pump I put in a new ACE filter and purchased legit land rover ACE power steering fluid, This stopped the power steering fluid leaks, but I was shocked to find that the reason the pump failed and was screeching so loud was because the previous mechanics while fixing the oil leak, must have lost the original screws to the pump, and in an economic rush to fix it, did not secure the pump into place properly, and only inserted a peg to keep it in place… yes a peg, my pump was literally being held in place by a metal stick and the fan belt, from then on I would never trust a mechanic again.
Now after watching Lucky8’s youtube video about the Center Differential lock, I was able to muster up the courage to dismantle the inside of the car to get to the torn O2 sensor.
With my very limmited soldering skill I managed to attach a new O2 sensor pigtail.
While looking up how to open up the center console, I stumbled onto an interesting fact, the CDL was manually left locked by the previous mechanics… They’ve had me driving around on 4x4 for weeks, I must have driven 600 miles with it on! I didn’t know! I was ignorant on the subject at the time! it wasn't until i unplugged the CDL sensor and saw the dash light turn off that the center diff was definitely locked, but that switch on top would not budge no matter how hard I turned it, so I figured the next step would be to re-lubricate the drive train since I was going to take it apart anyway.
Finally I saved up the money and ordered the drive train kit from Atlantic British, purchased my first set of jack stands and was ready to work. I started with the transmission needed to take it apart to access the transfer case panel anyway. There were way more metal shavings on the magnet than I was comfortable with.
Next I changed the transfer case, but what I saw was so upsetting, There was so much more metal on the magnet, and I found a tooth, yes some kind of metal tooth from some gear inside has broken off and the magnet had luckily grabbed it.
No use crying so I carried on on my mission, but what I found was almost endearing of those previous mechanics... I had a terrible time opening the transfer case panel, because the bolts in it, where not the original ones. As it turns out those guys had lost the originals, and replaced them with what seemed to be threaded rod with a nut welded to the top and then cut to size, bravo to these guys for working with what they got, but for what they charged, I think the extra 20 cents of a new bolt from the hardware store, wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Finally though I gain access.
I had to fiddle with the CDL but FINALLY! I was able to turn it off, I couldn’t believe it! I tested out the tires, finally my front tire was able to turn independently from the rest and I was so relieved. Finally I put the drive train back together, I resealed the transfer case, put new fluid in the transmission, and in the axles as well. and the next day after checking for leaks, I took it for a test drive. It was at this point, I fell in love with the car. It felt so light and strong and it seemed to just glide effortlessly!
The next step was to take if off roading.
This was the Land Rover Discovery on its one year anniversary of purchase, driving in the wet sand, not getting stuck.
Since then this car has become my daily driver. I have taken it paintballing, I Have been able to pull stuck vehicles out of the sand, it has more than exceeded my expectation!
I cant upload more than 10 images, but,
I have installed a new radio, horn buttons, windshield wipers, visor clips, roof lights, I’ve fixed the leaking sunroof, changed the back and brake lights for LED ones,installed a new cigaret lighter sealed the air intake, replaced the existing window motors and assemblies, replaced the fan belt, replaced the shuttle valve for the ABS system, and spray painted the exterior trim black.
I am in love with this car, and what it can do, my hopes for it are to turn it into an off-road camping beast!
I currently have new brake pads, O2 sensors and a MAF sensor that need to be installed.
Next things I have to do are get some window tint, and new tires.
The big ticket items I really want would be a roof rack, a light bar, a better suspension system but Most of all I would love to find a CDL shifter that lets me lock my transfer case into 4x4, if anyone has any leads on an affordable one message me!
Family Photo!
Thank you for reading! If you don't mind my ramblings, I have more of my amature content to upload from my other projects or more details about this one.
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with complete confidence
